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Some people love their iPhones. Some
people love their puppies. Bandai Co., Ltd., which specializes in
character-related products from toys to costumes to various Pokemon
snacks and gadgets, has figured out a way to blend the two, with its new
“Smart Pet”– a kind of i-Puppy.

iPhone + Cute Puppy = i-Puppy

It
starts with the robotic body of a dog not quite seven inches tall.
Owners download a Smart Pet app onto to their iPhone or iPod touch. Then
they nestle it between the floppy ears of the robot, and the iPhone
becomes the dog’s face and brain.

The machine then transforms into an animated robotic dog, which will
recognize its “owner,” can be “fed,” do more than one hundred tricks,
and for all intents and purposes be a man’s best friend–without the
necessary daily walks, vet visits, dog chow, and pooper scoopers that a
flesh dog would require. (It’s reminiscent of Sony Corp.’s much-beloved
Aibo, and has similarities to Bandai’s turn-of-the century digital pet,
Tamagotchi.

And the mechanical Sparky can do all sorts of things real dogs can’t. It
can help charge the iPhone, serve as an alarm clock, and, should a call
happen to come in while the owner is playing with the pet, turn into a
hands-free phone set. In another less-normal canine feature, the Smart
Pet’s face is removable, so users can take it outside without the body,
legs, and tail of the dog. In addition, owners with two Smart Pets—they
run in white and black—can use the communication function to synchronize
the two dogs as they dance and sing.

The battery-charged Smart Pet is designed so that the robotic dog
“learns” more tricks, games, and facial expressions as its owner
continues to use it, “playing” chores like feeding the pooch, simulating
the relationship between a real dog an its owner. Smart Pets also have a
mic and camera installed inside that enable them to do various tricks
at the owners’ beck and call.

Smart Pets will run from Y7,800 yen starting April 28. Bandai expects
its “completely innovative and new” not-so-furry friend to “not once
bore its owners throughout the day,” according to its promotional video.
As of now, the Smart Pet will only be available in Japan.